IR Iran

Players held small backpacks as Iran's national soccer team used a match against Nigeria on Friday to honor the victims of a deadly missile strike on an elementary school.

Iran has banned its sports teams from traveling to countries it considers "hostile," Iranian state TV reported Thursday ahead of Tractor FC's scheduled soccer game in Saudi Arabia.

Iran will "boycott the United States, but not the World Cup," the president of the country's football federation said Wednesday, in quotes reported by Iran's Fars news agency.

Iran's embassy in Mexico on Tuesday said the country is negotiating with FIFA to move Iran's World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico.

A leading football official in Asia said Iran are still set to play at the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in June in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The ongoing conflict in Iran and neighboring countries has put their participation in the 2026 World Cup in doubt, while Iraq's ability to get to the intercontinental playoff is also in doubt. Here's the latest we know.

Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup following airstrikes against the country by the United States and Israel, the Iranian sports minister said Wednesday.

United States president Donald Trump has assured FIFA that Iran are "welcome" to compete at this summer's World Cup, according to Gianni Infantino.

Iran are scheduled to play at the 2026 World Cup in just over 100 days' time. Here's what we know -- and what we don't -- about whether they will still take part.

The president of Iran's soccer federation says he does not know if the national team can play World Cup matches in the United States following the surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment of his country.